“The counseling initiatives are far from the biggest-ticket items in states’ budgets,” she writes. “But they’re a significant sign of a renewed commitment to school counseling, which took particularly heavy hits in layoffs driven by the Great Recession eight years ago.”

States highlighted in the article include:

Minnesota: Committed $12 million to send counselors, social workers, nurses, and school psychologists into 77 schools.

Tennessee: Added college advisers at 30 high schools through a three-year, $7.2 million grant.

Colorado: Launched the Colorado School Counselor Corps in 2010 to add more support for students. The program was initially funded with $5 million annually for three years. The effort was renewed in 2014 at $10 million per year.

Indiana: The Lily Endowment has pledged up to $30 million to help develop comprehensive counseling programs.

“People are realizing that a school counselor really is essential in a student’s education,” Richard Wong, executive director of the American School Counselor Association told Ed Week.